Pickups for a Les Paul thread #984756256

[fhn_lopes]

Hello guys, it's my first post here.

Before I get cursed, I've been reading the forum for a while and found some good info, but not as much as I wanted (and my patience let me  :lol:)

I own a Les Paul Classic and I have to say I hate the original gibson pu's, damn, I feel like they kill the wood's tone. The guitar sounds undefined and dark in a certain way. I like more open tones and this guitar will pair my HSS strat with a VHII in the bridge... Don't need to say that my strat is killing my LP ass right now... I can't let it happend... so unfair

I'm going to run them through a 50watt plexi with greenbacks, classic combination, and a few boosters like a TS, EP3 preamp and a boss GE10 EQ. I want this guitar to be my heavy rocker, to go from ACDC to early heavy metal such as Iron Maiden and Ozzy.

I made up my mind for the Emerald for neck position, I owned one before and regret I sold it every single day. But I can't decide a match for bridge position.

I'm falling for the rebell yell and the holydiver right now... I love the crawler clips, but for what I've read here, I think it's going to sound darker than I want. I like bright open les paul tones, but keeping the mids very focused and a nice high end cut in the mix, while keeping it tight (but not too much) in the low end. I don't want it to sound thin in any way, but want no dark tone either. I also use the volume pot a lot, so it's important that the pup cleans up well too. I have no problems with the VHII for that matter.

I would apreciate to hear your thoughs on both RY and HD for bridge position for my pourposes, and of course, suggest me something else I may be missing.

Thanks mates

[richard]

' I like bright open les paul tones, but keeping the mids very focused and a nice high end cut in the mix, while keeping it tight (but not too much) in the low end. '

This is basically a description of the RY. It can do great AC/DC tones and also sounds great with more gain. Cleans up superbly. I'v just had push/pull coil splits installed. Not so wild about the neck split because it's a little underpowered but the bridge split sounds wonderful.

[Kiichi]

Hi and welcome. No one will curse you mate, tis all good. =)

Yeah, the RY should deliver what you want, plus that one excells in LPs. I would take it over the HD here.

I would however also concider the Riff Raff. More PAF character, open, cutting, great for AC/DC of course and can really do those metal types you describe, especially with the gear you have. The mule can already do things like Ozzy pretty nicely and the RR even more so.

I would take a look at the RR and then make it a match between the RR and RY, both would really work imho.

[Telerocker]

Rebel Yell would serve you fine.

[fhn_lopes]

Thanks for the help guys! Actually I have listened to all bkp clips ... riff raff sounds really nice too, very hard to decide. How it would match in tone and output with the emerald neck?

[ericsabbath]

sounds like you have farty hands, fernando
you should sell everything and buy a mesa and a t miranda  8)

[fhn_lopes]

fak u  nigga  :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I'm probably going with the rebell yell/emerald combo... thanks for the tips guys!

[ericsabbath]

why not a calibrated emerald set?

[Kiichi]

why not a calibrated emerald set?

Right, how could I forget? This might be even better!

[fhn_lopes]

why not a calibrated emerald set?

Right, how could I forget? This might be even better!

hahahahaha damn,... I came here to say that I was listening to emerald clips yesterday again and now you tell me that  :lol:.
I felt the emerald bridge being closer to the riff raff than to the RY... Emerald neck is a keeper, for sure, but bridge... I think it may sound thinner than I want. But the thing is... RY clips rock, but the ones I've liked most were recorded by  Steve... and that counts a lot. The usual BKP samples sound different, a bit darker and less tight than SS clips, but still excellent.

In other words, I'm still undecided  :lol: :lol: :lol: Going to search more clips over the net before making the call...

[dingleberry]

FWIW I find I prefer my emerald bridge with a 300k pot, gives it a bit more thickness.  Not as thick as my diver, mind you

[Kiichi]

Thing is that both really work in LPs. In other axes you gotta be more carefull with the emerald bridge cause it is bright, but that is what makes it sit so well in LPs (was designed for them too).
The RY in comparison is hotter and a therefore a bit denser, though I canīt say about how they compare much tonally beyond that.

What I do know is that both are amazing. The Emerald is even a favorite among metal players, as it is bright and tight and it remains open under loads of gain.
I dare say it can go heavier and lighter than the RY, although prob not by that much.

Also a note about the RY: Imho this one has many faces. It is so sensible to height adjustment (BKPs in general are, but this one is extreme) that you can have it almost sound like multiple different PUs. Changes in the bass response are pretty noticable with a single turn of the screw to me.

[fhn_lopes]

Thanks for the advises Kiichi. Indeed, my VHII responds differently with hieght too, maybe it's because BKPs are too clear and defined in sound, nothing scapes from them  :P

I really love the EM neck and I actually used it before as a bridge PU too... REALLY soft and sweet, I say, that's some true old school blues tones! But I prefer it in neck position of course.

Now I'm thinking here, have anyone heard or tried the emerald bridge with an A2 magnet?? Maybe it can sweeten the highs a bit...  :?: About output, not a big deal as I beleave it has the same or more output than my VHII and with my setup right now I have plenty of gain for what I want.

[ericsabbath]

bright is good

I had the riff raff in the prs mccarty and the neck cold sweat in the greco's bridge position
they were both bright as $%&# in those guitars, but absolutely amazing, and everyone kept telling me that after every rehearsal and gigs
and I doubt your les paul will sound as bright as those

[Kiichi]

bright is good

Certainly easier to tame brightness than add it.